Deadly Innocence
by KousukeAsazuki
Summary: [on hiatus] A lone boy holds the key to massive power. Now sought by his creators to be destroyed, can he find allies in unexpected strangers and continue on with the life he's known? KiyotakaOC, AyumuKanone. Other pairings may develop. Chapter 9 up
1. Chapter 1

I know, starting a new fic when my old ones aren't done. But isn't that what I've always done? Good, then I shall continue to do so. Enjoy!

Summary: A boy who never trusted anyone. A man who never showed kindness. What could bring these two souls together? Only time can tell. KiyotakaOC, AyumuKanone. Other pairings may develop.

Warnings: None, as of now, but I'm sure there will be lemons and such in later chapters. Oh, minor slave-ish comments and such. But, as with Trapped, it won't be the main focus of the fic, so sorry to all those offended by it!

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"We got another one!" came the shout from a member of the crew.

The captian of the ship glanced to the boy that had been found floating, face down, in the freezing ocean waters. He was a small boy, probably only about eight or nine, with teal-colored hair and navy blue eyes. He certainly was an odd child, to say the least, "Take him under." came the simple order, "We'll take him back to the king on our return."

"Yessir!" the crew member obliged, grabbing the boy's arm, whose wrists had been secured with rope, and drug him through a door, taking him below deck to a dark and dank room that served as the ship's holding cell and storage. The young boy was tossed into the grimy cell that had an inch or so of stagnant water laying in the bottom, the scent of mold and mildew heavy in the poorly lit room. The younger one's blank eyes stared at the sailor, seemingly emotionless of the treatment. This reaction disturbed the young man somewhat, who promptly shut the cell door and locked it, pocketing the key and walking back up on deck, closing that door as well and forgetting the boy.

Back in his cell, the child looked around his surroundings. Crates and other supplies were scattered about, rats and mice making small noises every now and then. The place was disgusting to say the least, but it seemed not to faze him at all. He looked down at the water, which seemed to have blood and other unmentionable substances mixed in. Then his dark gaze turned to the makeshift handcuffs that were rubbing the skin they bound red and sore. He frowned at the situation, finally showing some opinion. Of course, the frown was soon covered with a soft sigh as he plopped down in the water, too tired and hungry to waste energy standing. He pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resting his head on his knees. Closing his eyes, he thought just one thing before drifting off to sleep, _"Kiyo."_

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"Master." a small girl uttered, bowing before a boy in his late teens.

The brunette, known as Kiyotaka Narumi, glanced at one of his many servants, annoyed with being disturbed, "What?" he demanded, his voice harsh.

The girl jumped slighty, "Forgive my intrusion, sir, but more slaves have been brought."

"So?" he asked, "Put them to work."

"One is sick, sir, and I thou-" she began.

"You're not here to think." he reminded her, glaring slightly, "Put them to work."

Quickly bowing again, the girl nodded, "Yes, sir." she said, turning sadly and leaving the room, closing the door with a soft _click_.

A sigh escaped the boy's lips as he looked out the window, across the sea, _"All the same." _he thought, boredly. He glanced across the dark waters, as night had fallen some time ago. A single light passed over the seemingly endless waves from a nearby lighthouse, illuminating the way for any ships coming into or leaving the castle's port. As it passed over once more, a dark form was made visible. A ship, yes, but not one of his. Muttering something under his breath, he turned to the other boy in the room, "Have the guards bring that ship into port. If the occupants have no good reason for sailing so close to the castle, have them killed."

The younger boy, the king's younger brother Ayumu Narumi, nodded slightly and stood, walking out without a word, _"He's so cruel."_ he idly thought as he made his way to the guards, _"I've never seen him show any kindness to anyone, he even ignores me most of the time." _Shaking his head of these thoughts, knowing there was nothing he could do about his brother's less than desirable behavoir, he approached a guard, telling him of the situation. Nodding, the older man turned and ran off to do as the king had ordered. Ayumu watched as a smaller ship sailed out to the ominous one and the captian exchanged a few words with the guard Ayumu had just spoken with. A few minutes later, shots rang out and the splash of bodies in the water echoed through the surrounding area. Ayumu sighed slightly, shaking his head and turning to walk back in when something caught his attention. He glanced back out to the waters and blinked, staring as the black ship sailed away, the bodies of the guards laying next to their small boat. Frowning, now more in concern, Ayumu ran back inside to the room he was occupying, "Brother." he said, urgently, getting the elder's attention.

"What?" Kiyotaka asked in that same uncaring voice.

"The guards were killed, the ship sailed away." he informed the elder Narumi.

A shrug passed the situation off, "Then it's not my problem." he said, looking back out the window. Ayumu stared in disbelief as his brother went back to ignoring everyone and everything while his guards had just been killed. Shaking his head, he turned and walked back out of the room to deal with the mess.

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(death by shortness of chappy) You know how I am with these things by now, you should have expected as much! Maybe I'll post the next chapter soon, though, to make up for it. Hope it interests you enough to come back, review!


	2. Chapter 2

Not much to say, but here's the next chappy. Enjoy!

Shadow masochist: I know, it's a horrid name, isn't it? It's a long story, and I don't know if I'll use this other character, but his name came from a boy named Taku (Ukat is, obviously, the inverse of his name). So, it wasn't just random. I'll try to update this one as often as I can (inspiration is such a bastard). Anyway, I'll try not to disappoint, and thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Hopefully I won't make you wait too long. Though, it could be a very messed up kingdom with Kiyotaka ruling it. Thanks for reviewing!

Lady Duzie: Yup! Heh, I put a bunch of the others in my other fic. They're too fun not to. Thanks for reviewing!

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Three days after the boy, Ukat, had been brought aboard, the ship docked in the castle's port. The same sailor as before came down and unlocked the cage that had become his home for the duration of the trip. Ukat glanced up as he was yanked out by his arm, his clothes and hair now smelling like the water in the cell. He frowned as he was drug up, wincing as the bright rays of the sun nearly blinded him. The sailor simply rolled his eyes and pulled him to the captian, "Here he is, sir."

The captian nodded and glanced to the small boy as the older one ran off to help unload the rest of the cargo, "Come on." he said, sternly, turning and walking off the ship. Blinking slightly, and seeing no reason not to follow, Ukat did as he was told and followed the man off the ship and toward the castle. He surveyed the surrounding area, noticing that outside was a stark contrast to the cold grey of the walls. There were flowers everywhere, and a fountain in the middle of the large expanse of yard. A stone walkway led up to several steps that ended at a large dark purple door, two guards on either side with overly large swords criss crossed across the door.

Other than the gardian and fountain, the general feel of the outside was happy and peaceful. On the other hand, the castle walls looked dark and ominous, as if a great evil were lurking behind its walls. He continued to follow the captian of the ship up to the door, where he held up a hand, motioning for him to stay, and walked up to one of the guards. Ukat watched while he talked with the man for a minute before nodding toward him and walking off. The light-haired boy blinked and looked to the guard who motioned for him to follow and walked inside. Biting his lip, not really wanting to enter such a place, but seeing no choice as the main gates slammed shut, Ukat followed the other man.

After a long walk down several hallways, they stopped in front of a door. The guard knocked, and after an annoyed 'what' walked in, bowing, "Sorry for disturbing you, my lord." he quickly said.

Kiyotaka looked at him, tired and with absolutely no patience, "What is it?" he demanded.

"Ah, yes." thye guard said, motioning to Ukat, "This boy was brought in, he was found half dead in the ocean."

Ukat glanced to Kiyotaka and blinked a few times, "K-kiyo?" he asked, almost a whisper.

The brunette quirked an eyebrow at the boy, "I don't know you." he informed the child, "Why do you sound like you recognize me?" The question itself suprised him and everyone else in the room, though for different reasons. Save Ukat, the other three (Kiyotaka, the guard, and Ayumu) were slightly shocked that he'd even show an interest in the boy or care why he claimed to know him. Usually, by now, the boy would have been put to work in the kitchen on doing some other, random chores.

"How can you say that?" the boy asked, frowning slightly, "I didn't mean to get taken, I'm sorry..."

"I don't know you." the older one repeated, now slightly annoyed. He sighed and looked at the guard, "Put him to work." he ordered.

The guard nodded slightly and grabbed Ukat's arm, "Come on, boy." he said, starting to pull him out of the room.

"No..." the blue-eyed boy weakly protested, before looking back to Kiyotaka and blinking, "Wait, your eyes are brown..." he remarked, slightly confused.

Another eyebrow shot up at this, "Are they usually not?" he wondered.

_"No, they...could he just look just like him?" _he silently questioned before shaking his head and looking down, "No, sorry." he said, a bit sadly. Kiyotaka rolled his eyes and motioned for the guard to take Ukat out, which he promptly did.

After the brothers were alone, Ayumu glanced to the older one, "Don't you think it's odd that he recognized you until he noticed your eye color?" he wondered.

Kiyotaka shrugged and went back to his bed, sitting on it, and picking a book back up, "It's none of my concern."

"That you could have a twin?" the chocolate-haired boy asked, "You're not the tiniest bit curious?"

"No." That was pretty much the end of the discussion as Ayumu plopped down in a chair, sighing.

"Of course not." It wasn't as if Kiyotaka showed an interest in anything, anyway.

Another knock on the door earned a very annoyed sigh from the eldest Narumi, "_What_?"

A boy stuck his head in, and looked at the brothers, smiling, "Am I interrupting anything?"

If possible, Kiyotaka got more irritated at the brunette smirking at him. Kanone really did love to piss him off, "Yes. Leave." he said, firmly.

"Alright," Kanone obliged, "but only if I get to take Ayumu with me."

"Keep your hands off my brother, you perv!" came a shout from down the hallway.

Kiyotaka looked mortified as the footsteps approached the door and another boy came into view, glaring at Kanone, "Why would I?" the brunette wondered, "It's not like he minds."

"He's too naive, go get someone your own age, you damn pedophile!" the other boy shouted.

Ayumu looked between Kanone and the other boy, his twin save for some odd coloring. While Ayumu had brown hair and eyes, his brother had purple hair and yellow eyes that tended to scare the crap out of people when they saw him, "Brother, Kanone's nice." he objected, taking his boyfriend's side.

"See?" Kanone defended himself.

"I fear what your 'nice' is." the slightly older one, Ai, muttered, glaring at Kanone, "I said keep your damn hands off my brother."

Completely annoyed with the whole situation, Kiyotaka put his book down, "Everyone, leave." he said, "Now."

"But-" Ayumu began to object.

"Go." the eldest brother cut him off.

Sighing he stood and nodded, walking out of the room, blinking and smiling slightly as Kanone wrapped an arm around his waist and proceeded down the hall. Ai looked at the remaining boy, "You shouldn't let him be alone with Ayumu like that."

Kiyotaka looked at him, now bored, and shrugged, "Not my problem."

"It will be when he rapes him!" the younger one shouted.

Another annoyed sigh escaped the king's lips, "Go." he repeated.

"Don't you care about your baby brother?" Ai demanded. Glaring and frowning both at the shrug, he stormed out and after Ayumu and Kanone, continuing to yell as loud as he could about perverts and bastards being all over his innocent, little brother.

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Ukat sighed to himself as he looked out the window of his new room. He had been taken to get washed up and get new clothes, then to a small room that was to be his. It wasn't anything fancy, but the small boy didn't mind that at all. He was never fascinated with all of life's big pleasures, the small things did him just fine. In fact, he would have preferred a small room, so he was actually perfectly content. Well, except for that one little thing nagging at him in the back of his head. The one thing he was currently trying to avoid and ignore, but attempting such a feat only made him unconcsciously think of it more. That thing, of course, being no less than Kiyotaka. He layed back on his bed and stared up at the stars, _"Who is he if not Kiyo?" _he wondered to himself, _"A brother, maybe? They look too much alike not to be related." _The thought that this other Kiyotaka knew his suddenly gave him small hope, _"Maybe he knows him and can take me to him."_ he thought. Though, when he realized who he was dealing with, those kinds of suggestions seemed laughable at best, _"Why would he?"_ The truth was, he wouldn't. Kiyotaka cared nothing for anyone, not much unlike the boy he knew so fondly. He knew Kiyo well enough to know Kiyotaka wouldn't help him unless he saw a reason to. _"He won't," _he thought, closing his eyes, _"but maybe that other boy can."_ With his last thoughts of a boy whose name he didn't know and face he had only seen once, Ukat drifted off to sleep, with hopes that Kiyotaka's little brother could return him to where he belonged.

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But will he? Sure. Can he? That answer should be obvious. Maybe if he was king... Anyway, I think this chappy is a little longer...right? No? Damn... oh well, review!


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, another chappy. So, will Ukat find his...whatever Kiyo is to him? Certainly seems like a boyfriend, doesn't he? But is Kiyotaka or anyone that acts like him really likely to have a boyfriend? Well, let's find out!

Shadow masochist: Why ever would you assume something like that? Isn't it obvious he's just _full _of love? And no problem for the explanation, it would be horrible if that name was just randomly thought up. Thanks for reviewing!

Lady Duzie: If Kanone gets a moment's peace with poor Ayumu, the boy will end up molested and everyone knows it. If only he weren't such a perv...it's all Kai's fault! Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Oh yes, so very subtle, you know me. And Ai is a lovely character, so caring and loving. He certainly lives up to his name, doesn't he? Thanks for reviewing!

A/N: Forgot to mention before, but in this fic, Kiyotaka is only eighteen. No real reason for making him younger, just didn't want him to be a _huge _perv in the later chapters (though we all know he reminds everyone of a rapist anyway...oh, just admit it!) That's all!

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It was the middle of the night, and Kiyotaka was bored. Of course, he was always bored surrounded by such mundane people. He stood by the window he usually gazed out, looking out it blankly, thoughts running through his head. Usually, he didn't bother to think about much, he had no reason to, but something was actually bugging him tonight. It was also the cause for his restlessness, though he didn't sleep much in any case. That something was that new boy that had been brought in. Not so much the boy himself, though he was different from most, but how he acted so familiar with the king. No one was that close with him, and he'd never seen the boy in his life, not to mention that Kiyotaka had never been refered to as 'Kiyo' in his entire life. That left only the conclusion that there was another boy out there, that looked nearly identical to him, with almost the same name as him. That, in Kiyotaka's opinion, was simply annoying. Still, if this boy acted like him, he couldn't be totally annoying.

After a few more moments of pondering, Kiyotaka decided since he had nothing better to do (not like he ever did), he would look a bit more into the situation. It was beyond rare that something sparked his interest, so when he finally found something or someone that did so, he tended not to ignore it. Having made his decision, he glanced around to make sure Ayumu hadn't snuck back into his room and walked out, going no further than across the hall and knocking on a door. A moment later a boy of about nineteen with long hair held in a ponytail, reaching down to his mid-back a medium shade of pink and golden-yellow eyes opened the door. A small smile graced his lips, "Hey, Kiyotaka, what can I do for you?" the boy, Dimitri, asked.

"Go to the servant quarters and get one of the boys there."

Gold-colored eyes briefly disappeared as the older one blinked and nodded, "Anyone specific?"

"Yes, he's about nine years old and has teal hair and dark blue eyes. He was just brought in a few hours ago."

"Alright." Dimitri obliged, walking out and down the hallway, pondering what Kiyotaka could want with the boy. He wasn't the type to be interested in anyone, and certainly not a child, so it wasn't anything like that. He doubted that the boy had any use to him and he never called on the servants to talk with. The king rarely talked to anyone, privately or otherwise, and never by his request; people always came to him, he never went to them. There were very few people he would even acknowledge or speak with when it wasn't necessasry, Dimitri himself being only one of three that he knew of that Kiyotaka would talk to simply because the other wanted to do so. The other two, one of which was what most considered the aloof one's best friend, were both younger than the man himself, but nearly as mature. Perhaps it was why Kiyotaka didn't mind them, they weren't quite like the rest.

Talking with a boy for a moment, Dimitri soon found his way to Ukat's room and knocked softly. After a moment, the boy opened his door, yawning and rubbing his eyes, "Yes?" he asked, still half asleep.

Dimitri did a double take when he saw the small boy, but quickly shook it off, "Kiyotaka wants to see you." he informed the younger one.

The blue-haired boy blinked then nodded slightly, "Alright." he agreed and bowed slightly, "Thank you." With that, he followed Dimitri back to Kiyotaka's room where the older one returned to his own room, leaving Ukat in the hallway alone.

After a moment of pondering why the brunette would ask for him, he decided to just find out firsthand and knocked on the door. Almost instantly the older one's voice was heard, "What?"

"A boy came and said you wanted to see me." Ukat explained to the door.

"Come in." the voice ordered and he obliged, walking through the door and shutting it softly.

The shorter one tilted his head as he turned to face the king, "So what did you want?" he wondered.

"There's another that looks like me." It wasn't a question, Kiyotaka rarely ever asked questions unless it was 'what?', which was really his way of greeting someone.

Ukat's eyes lit up just a bit with a small light of hope as he nodded, "Yes, his name's Kiyo." Kiyotaka waited for him to continue, which he soon did, "He looks just like you, as you said, same age, height, everything except one thing."

"His eyes." Kiyotaka concluded, hoping to hurry the whole thing up.

The other nodded again, "Yes, they're dark purple." he confirmed.

After thinking things through for a moment, Kiyotaka spoke, "Where is he?"

Ukat bit his lip, "I believe in the land across the sea." he told him, "Ambrose Island. He lives in the largest house there, in the woods."

The brunette nodded slightly, still mostly lost in thought, "Alright." he said, waiting for Ukat to leave. When he didn't, an eyebrow shot up, "What?"

_"Please take me to him."_ the small boy silently begged, but just shook his head, "Nothing." he said, his voice nearly a whisper.

As he turned to leave, the older one's voice stopped him, "How do you know him?"

"He's my..." Ukat trailed off then, biting his lip again in thought, _"What is he to me?" _he wondered briefly, then realized Kiyotaka was still waiting for an answer. He decided to go with what his heart told him, "He's my boyfriend...ish...kind of..."

"You don't know."

"Not really." he admitted. Things between him and Kiyo were unstable, to say the least, when he left. He loved Kiyo, more than anything, but he wasn't sure the feelings were exactly returned. He knew Kiyo cared for him, of course, but he wasn't positive it went much deeper than that.

Another nod, "That's all, you can go."

The boy looked up, being disturbed from his thoughts, "Oh, alright." he obliged, turning and walking out, but not before pausing and looking back, "What will you do?" he asked, hope still shimmering in his eyes. However, he got no response, just a small shrug and the doors closing behind him. Sighing softly and looking down, he headed back to his room to catch a few more hours of sleep before morning.

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Ayumu watched the whole scene on a small tv screen in his brother's room. He glanced back to Ai, "You think brother will take him back to that other boy?"

The purple-haired boy looked at the screen, which was one of many set up in his closet. Ai was the rat of the family, always keeping tabs on everyone and spying, able to know anything and everything about a person simply because he could watch their life on screen. Sure, it was morally wrong and proved he had basically no life, but it was great for blackmail. The only problem with this nasty little habit/skill was Ai wasn't one to keep his mouth shut about anything, personal or not. Still, Ayumu never said a word about it, he was one of the few that knew, and in return Ai never spilled his secrets and was able to use the monitors at his wish. "Not likely." he finally commented, "You know how Kiyotaka is."

"Yeah." the brunette sighed, "I wonder why he's so cold to everyone."

Ai just shrugged, "Because he's Kiyotaka." Kanone offered, who was sitting next to Ayumu.

"That's so mean." the youngest pouted, "Be nice."

"Mean, but true." Kanone corrected.

"He has a point." the other brother added, "Kiyotaka isn't the nicest person in the world, actually, he kind of sucks."

Another pout found its way to Ayumu's lips as he looked to the two older boys, "I don't think so." he weakly defended his oldest brother.

"Love, you don't think anyone sucks." his boyfriend (sort of) reminded him, "You're too nice."

Ayumu blushed faintly as Kanone kissed his cheek, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "I don't think so..." he protested, moving closer.

"Ew! Get the hell off my brother!" the over protective brother shouted.

"Alright, alright." Kanone obliged, standing up and walks toward the door, glancing at Ayumu, "Coming."

After glancing for a moment between Kanone and his brother, Ayumu nodded and followed him out. Ai blinked once, "Hey! No, don't go with him!" His shouts were promptly muffled with the closing of the door as Kanone chuckled and led Ayumu back to his room.

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Poor Ai...he's just too protective for his own good. Well, that's what you get for having a overly naive little brother who just happened to end up with one of the most pervy guys in the world. Anyway, review!


	4. Chapter 4

Yay, I have a new laptop. Got a new cell phone, too huggles laptop I love it. Anyway, on with the chappy!

Polaris18: Nice? That's what people say when they have nothing else to say about it. Eh, can't blame you, it's not really all that interesting right now. But I'm sure it'll get better (at least I hope it does). Thanks for reviewing!

Lady Duzie: Yup, yup. Bringing in more this chappy, too. We'll have the whole cast in here soon (just as long as we don't go through what we did in the rp... (shudders)). Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: And all because little Ayumu is just so naive. I think it's cute (huggles Ayumu). Isn't he adorable? And if Ai is one thing, it's useful. Well.. actually, many words could be substituted there (annoying, childish, loud, nosy...). Yay for quick updates. Thanks for reviewing!

freya kurenai: Like who? O.o, you're the second person who's mentioned my lack of updating. Is it really that ba-...nevermind. Thanks for reviewing!

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The next day, Kiyotaka called Ai and Ayumu to his room. The twins looked at each other, a bit confused as to what their brother could want. He never called upon them, and probably wouldn't even speak to them if they didn't bug the crap out of him. He still had yet to find out why Ayumu spent so much time in his room instead of with Kanone. That was of no concern to him, though. Finally, nearly a half an hour after he had called upon him, Ai strode through the door looking either bored or annoyed with being disturbed. Ai wasn't Kiyotaka's biggest fan, and for good reason. Kiyotaka was, for lack of a better term, a horrid brother. He seemed to care nothing for the three younger ones (Ai, Ayumu, and their youngest brother, Shindou) and ignored them on a regular basis. Even when they were injured or sick, he simply sent someone else to care for them, not bothering to lift a finger himself. This was the main reason Ai hated the eldest Narumi. The other reasons were a bit more personal. Mainly, he despised that Kiyotaka felt free to do whatever he pleased despite what cost is was to others, even his own family. When Kiyotaka wanted something, he got it at all costs, and Ai and Ayumu both had been injured more than once to reach the older one's selfish goals. Yes, Ai hated Kiyotaka more than just about anyone.

Ayumu, the naive boy he was, didn't see why Ai disliked their brother so much. Sure, he was cold and there weren't many good features about him, but he was still their brother. Maybe he wouldn't come through when they needed him, and might even be the reason they needed anyone to begin with, but family was family. Besides, he was sure Kiyotaka had reasons for acting how he did, and even though he'd much rather have a caring big brother, he was glad he had Kiyotaka at all. If Ai were his only big brother...well, he'd have turned out a lot different. Still, he believed Kiyotaka meant well, just didn't know how to show it. Of course, that's why everyone always called him naive. That, and he was oblivious to the fact that Kanone really wanted to be anything more than friends.

Shindou was the last and the youngest, and was a bit different than the twins. He wanted nothing more than for Kiyotaka to care about him and pay attention to him. Even knowing that would never happen, he still wished it more than anything. As a result of this, he became rather depressed when Kiyotaka ignored him, and despite his best efforts to hide it, his pain at being all but ignored shown through his fake smile and laugh. He seemed happy on the outside, but if the subject of his brother ever came up, he would immediately get quiet and give a sad smile. It was easy to tell, if you ever looked in his eyes for a moment, that he was constantly hurting from the lack of attention. Ai wasn't the best to him, either, and usually spent most of his time with his boyfriend or running around causing trouble (most of the time he was doing both at once). Still, when it came down to it, Ai would be there for Shindou until the bitter end and would help him the best he could if he ever needed it. Ayumu was the only one that took time out to talk with the youngest brother and was, naturally, the most caring. It wasn't that Ai wasn't caring, he just didn't know exactly how to show he cared; he wasn't one to show his feelings well and it usually resulted in him getting pissed off and yelling. Still, even if the shortest one's brothers weren't the best, he had come to adopt the second oldest's ones opinion of the fact that they were family and even if they weren't there for him, he'd be there for them.

Kiyotaka looked at the entering boy annoyed, "About time." he commented.

Ai just shrugged it off and rolled his eyes, "Something you wanted?" he asked, not wanting to be in the brunette's presence any longer than need be.

"I'm leaving." he announced.

Before the king could finish explaining, Ayumu frowned and spoke up, "Leaving?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly, "Why?"

Kiyotaka rolled his eyes, "I need to go somewhere." he explained.

"For how long?" the youngest of the three questioned.

"Does it matter?" he asked, avoiding the question.

"No.." Ayumu replied, looking down, then back up.

_"Hopefully forever."_ Ai thought, _"Or maybe his ship will sink or he'll get some horrible disease." _he smiled faintly at these thoughts, then looked to his brother, a question on his mind, "Who will be in charge while you're away?" he asked, "Can't have a kingdom without a king."

"I'm not dying." he informed the yellow-eyed boy, much to the latter's dismay, "There's no need to replace me."

"Who'll make all the decisions while you're gone? What if there's an attack?" Ai demanded, "Come on, put me in charge." he argued in his head. If Ai were king, he'd do things right.

Kiyotaka nodded, for once agreeing with his brother, "Fine." he conceded. Just as Ai was beginning to grin and ask him when he was leaving, he spoke again, "I'll put Taku in charge."

"Wh-what!" the teen shouted, "Why him?"

"Because he won't screw things up like you will?" Ayumu offered, once again adorning an innocent smile.

While Ai seethed, Kiyotaka once again agreed, "Precisely. Ai, why don't you inform him of current events." he ordered, simply to add insult to injury.

Muttering about mutinies and assassinations, said boy stalked out to find the lucky bastard that got to be king for however long the other bastard was gone. Once the doors were slammed shut, Ayumu turned to his older brother, "Who are you looking for?" he wondered aloud.

"It's no concern of yours." the eldest assured him. Nodding, and expecting no other answer than the one he received, the other boy sat down on the couch that sat against the far wall. After a moment, Kiyotaka glanced to his younger brother, "Why are you still here?" he asked.

"Why not?" Ayumu wondered, blinking and tilting his head.

"Leave." At the order, the chocolate-haired boy sighed and stood up.

"Have a safe trip, brother." he said softly before exiting the room and shutting the door quietly. Kiyotaka simply shook his head and sat back down; he'd deal with life later.

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The dark violet-haired boy stopped in front of a door on the second level of the castle and knocked quickly, "Of all the bastard things to do..." he thought, bitterly.

A moment later the door opened to reveal a boy of about sixteen. His navy blue, shoulder-length hair was held back in a pony tail and he looked at Ai through bright blue, almost teal orbs, an eyebrow raised, "Yes, Aishiteru?" the boy, Taku, asked.

"Don't call me that!" Ai yelled. If there was one thing he hated most, it was his name. Seriously, it means 'I love you', what the hell kind of name is that?

Taku chuckled and shrugged, "Well, it is your name." he defended himself. After smirking at an annoyed sigh from the slightly older one, he got a tad bit more serious, "Was there something you wanted?" he asked again.

Muttering about something or another, Ai nodded slightly, "Kiyotaka's leaving for a bit." he said, a bit too happily, "He said you're in charge until he returns." With those words, his bad mood returned.

The blue-haired boy blinked and snickered slightly, "I see." he said, almost tauntingly.

Yellow eyes narrowed at him, "Whatever." the other boy mumbled, turning and walking off. Taku simply laughed slightly to himself and closed his door again.

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Outside the castle, a dark figure cloaked in shadows watched a certain young boy through one of the windows. He smiled slightly to himself, his eyes seeming to glow an eerie yellow, not at all like Ai's. He watched as the boy plopped on his bed and began reading a book. He only wished it were time to reveal himself to the boy; to the entire kingdom. However, it wasn't quite time yet, "Soon." he told himself, "Very soon, and once I do..." A twisted smile crossed his face at the thought, "Destruction." he whispered to no one but the warm breeze wrapping itself around him, "Delicious destruction."

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Ew, sorry this chappy is so short, but the next one will be longer. So who is this guy, and who was he watching? Find out next chappy! It'll be longer, promise, and much more interesting. New more characters on the way. Having trouble keeping up, yet? I'm sure about one person isn't, maybe two. Anyway, review!


	5. Chapter 5

Ew, it's been a while since I've updated this. Am I ignoring any others I should be working on? O.o...right...that oneshot...(sweatdrops). Anyway, I'll have a KousukeAyumu oneshot up soon as a request. Probably later tonight or tomorrow. With that said, enjoy!

freya kurenai: No, can't say that I know 'em. Why do you ask? Thanks for reviewing!

Shadow masochist: It's quite alright, just glad you're still reading it. Hopefully it won't turn into another sixty some-odd chapter fic like a few others. Oh, and it's Taku that's Kiyotaka's replacement, not Ukat. Also, why in the world are you envious of me? (lost as usual). Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Nope and nope. It's no one that's been introduced yet, but will be shortly. Oh yes, evil laughs a plenty. Which is odd, because this guy isn't really all that evil, just when it comes to the one he's watching, and giving who he's working for... yeah, it's evil. Thanks for reviewing!

Lady Duzie: O.o...no, hell no.. nooooo Zion or Belial. I'd need a lot more than luck if they ever came in. Thanks for reviewing!

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That night, Kiyotaka set out on his journey to Ambrose Island where, supposedly, this other look a like was. Taku, one of the only people that could actually be trusted with maintaining the castle, was left in charge and Ai, of course, was pissed. Kanone had managed to sneak Ayumu into his room, and they were now holding a fairly boring conversation about nothing in general. Though, Ayumu didn't seem to notice Kanone's lack of interest, or the fact that he was only having the conversation at all to get closer to the younger one. Ayumu was going on about something that had happened in town earlier that day, and Kanone was doing his best to listen. Sighing to himself, he turned his attention back to the talking brunette.

"...and so this little girl got the last of the ice cream." he finished, pouting.

Kanone chuckled, amused, and leaned back on his bed, pulling Ayumu closer, "Well, how about we got out tomorrow and get you some?" he offered.

The dark brown eyes lit up at the suggestion as the child-like one nodded eagerly, "Alright." he agreed, smiling and snuggling into the warm embrace. Kanone decided this was as good a time as any to make a move. Ai was distracted with bitching at someone about something and Ayumu was as naive as ever, which of course made him even more adorable. Kanone leaned down to place a soft kiss on the tanned neck, which immediately tilted back to give him more access. Chocolate eyes closed, contently, as soft lips placed more kisses up and down his neck, the hot mouth sucking gently where his pulse was beating. A hand came up to run through mahogany hair, pulling the older one's head closer as he nibbled up Ayumu's jaw line. Pulling away slightly, Kanone repositioned himself straddling Ayumu and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on his lips. The action received him little more than a soft whimper and the innocent boy pulling away from him slightly.

Olive eyes gazed at the other in slight confusion before a soft smile covered his lips, "Something wrong, dear?" he asked in a whispered voice. Ayumu shook his head to signal that he was perfectly fine. Of course, being the naive boy he was, he was going to be a bit jumpy when it came to such things; things he didn't understand. He had undoubtedly never been with anyone, and probably even heavy making out was foreign to him. Keeping this in mind, Kanone once again kissed the boy, placing a hand behind his head to prevent him from pulling away again. After a moment, Ayumu hesitantly pressed their lips closer, kissing him back in a very unsure way. Seeing that the brunette was responding, Kanone slipped his tongue out, slowly licking across the other's lower lip in a silent request for entrance. He didn't have to wait long before the pale lips were parted slightly and his tongue slid into the younger boy's sweet mouth. Kanone licked around the entire inside of his boyfriend's mouth, trailing his fingertips up his thigh lightly, as to not draw attention. Ayumu gasped softly against the elder's lips and wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing his body up against Kanone's.

The golden-eyed boy's hand made its way further up the inexperienced boy's thigh, squeezing it softly, while his other hand made its presence known slipping under the thin, white shirt Ayumu had chosen to wear. Delicate fingertips traced across firm yet smooth stomach muscles and continued up, teasing one of his nipples gently. Ayumu's back arched at the action, pressing his upper body even closer to the soft touches. Getting a bit braver, Kanone slid his hand up to grab Ayumu gently and slipped the younger one's shirt up more, exposing his stomach and part of his chest. The new touches put Ayumu on edge and he whimpered again, pulling back slightly while bucking slightly into his hand. Moving his hand further up, Kanone pulled back slightly to slip the light-colored clothing off the tan body. Not wasting anymore time, the older one moved back to the half-naked boy and kissed him again, briefly, moving down the perfectly formed body, licking his way to the other nipple and moving his tongue in small circles around it. His hand once again traced over the boy's body and reached down to tug gently on the remaining clothing.

Ayumu bit his lip gently, running a hand through short brown hair and pulling the teen's head closer as the latter's mouth closed in on one of his nipples, sucking on it slowly at first and then a bit harder. A soft moan escaped the chocolate-haired boy's mouth at the attention and moved impossibly close to the other boy. Once again, however, he pulled back slightly as Kanone slowly unzipped his pants. A tiny nibble at the pink stub on his chest and nails gently scraping down one of his sides brought him closer once again. Deciding to take the plunge, Kanone pulled the younger one's pants down all the way, discarding them onto the floor. Now, completely naked, Ayumu blushed and looked away, attempting to cover himself from the hungry gaze he was receiving. A small smile graced the lighter-featured boy as he pinned Ayumu's hands above his head and kissed him again, as hungrily as his look had been a moment ago. Ayumu returned the kiss with less passion, but equally as eager, becoming more comfortable with his position under the elder one.

Kanone easily and quickly shed himself of his own clothes as they joined Ayumu's on the floor. With that obstacle out of the way, he once again straddled the brunette and kissed him gently, running a hand up the back of his thigh and grabbing the boy's firm ass, smirking faintly at the gasp such an action received, before moving his hand once again and pressing a finger outside the virgin's entrance. Nervous once again, Ayumu shifted, a bit uncomfortably, and glanced at Kanone, uncertain. A reassuring kiss did little to comfort the nerve-wracked boy, "Something wrong?" he finally asked.

Another glance to him and the messy-haired boy quickly shook his head, "No." he murmured. With nothing else to go on, but the assurance that the other was fine, Kanone nodded slightly and kissed him once more before pushing a finger inside of the smaller boy. The lithe one's back arched as he pressed against the finger slightly, gasping softly. Kanone wrapped an arm under his back, pulling him closer and kissing the tanned chest once more, slipping another finger into him. This caused Ayumu to tighten around the intruding digits and moan softly, silently asking for more. Kanone grinned slightly at this and slid yet another finger into the tight hole, stretching it out even more and earning him a slightly pained, slightly pleasured gasp. Having waited long enough, Kanone withdrew his fingers and waited only a moment, briefly kissing Ayumu, before pushing himself in. The younger one's back arched again as he dug his nails into the soft flesh of Kanone's back and he let out another, small whimper.

Kanone nuzzled the brunette's neck, waiting for him to adjust. After a few moment he felt Ayumu shift under him and took that as a signal, immediately beginning to start a slow pace with his hips. The smaller one hooked his legs around Kanone's waist as the speed increased, pushing him in further and throwing his head back as the older one drove himself into the small body, hitting his prostate. The dominate boy pounded into the body underneath him, eliciting several moans from both parties. Pulling Kanone closer, Ayumu kissed him, gasping softly against his lips and wrapping his arms around his neck, cumming. Feeling his new lover's muscles clench around him and massage his member, Kanone came as well, releasing himself into the brunette. He then promptly rolled over and laid on his own side of the bed, pulling the panting boy closer. He smiled softly as Ayumu curled up to him and yawned, nuzzling him and murmuring a 'goodnight'. Kissing the messy head, even more so from recent activities, Kanone whispered back, "Night, love." before falling asleep after his boyfriend.

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In another castle across the sea, a boy identical to Kiyotaka Narumi, save for his discolored eyes, looked upon another man. The older one, in his late thirties, had short tanish-brown hair and golden-yellow eyes, his head cocked to the side and a pleasant smile on his face, looked to the young prince, "I surveyed the area, and the boy is there." he informed the stoic boy.

Kiyo nodded his approval, "Good. Kiyotaka should be here soon, I'll discuss the term of the trade with him then."

"What makes you think he'll hand over his own creation?" the elder, Kai, asked.

"He's got no reason not to." the brunette pointed out, "He cares nothing for the boy, so he shouldn't care if we take him."

A nod agreed with the one in power as Kai glanced to his side to another man, a tad older than himself with dark blue hair and almost black eyes. He glanced sadly at his brother, then back to Kiyo, "What about-"

"Your children aren't my concern." the youngest informed them. Kai nodded slightly and cast another glance to his brother, Hakkai, who nodded as well. Neither of them had been a part of their children's lives much, but they had always protected them from a distance. While Kai had argued that he had every right to be involved in his sons' lives, he still remained by his brother's side, who disagreed that it was best to leave his son alone and not disrupt his life. In reality, Hakkai wanted to be with his son as much as Kai did, but saw no logical way for that to happen. They were both working for the prince, or rather, the queen, and while she would have no problem letting them go, their services were required too often for them to spend any decent amount of time with their children. So, as a result, they remained across the large body of water separating them from their sons. Hakkai, of course, accepted this, but the younger brother was pissed that things worked out the way they did. On top of that, from what he had heard, one of his sons was involved with one of the king's brothers.

With nothing more to say to the teen, Kai and his brother turned and walked out of the main room, heading down a hallway. After a moment of silence, Kai spoke to his brother, "You should go see him."

Hakkai blinked and glanced to him before shaking his head, "He's got his own life, as do I, I don't want to disrupt that."

An impatient sigh sounded at hearing the same mini-speech over and over again, "And what if he wants to see you? What if he's been wondering who and where his father is and wants to at least meet you?" he countered, "At least I've met my children."

Another shake of his head earned him an annoyed glare, "Why would he want to see me? I've never been there for him."

"Doesn't mean he doesn't want you." Kai mumbled, shaking his head and sighing, "Night, brother." he said, stopping outside a door.

A small smile crossed over the elder's face as he ruffled Kai's hair, "Goodnight." he replied, then turned and walked off, disappearing into his own room.

Shutting the door behind him after he entered his bedroom, Kai walked to his window and looked out, frowning as thoughts from earlier rushed back, _"The sooner we get that thing destroyed," _he thought, _"the better."_

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Ugh... so much crap... life is too much work. Anyway, sorry this chappy is on the short side, but I made up for it with a lemon! And, of course, more questions. Who or what does Kai want destroyed? Well, you'll find out soon enough. Review!


	6. Chapter 6

Really… I have an excuse for not updating at all… alright, not a very good one, but it's still an excuse. I started college and have been swamped with essays, homework, projects, not to mention class. Yeah, right… anyone buying it? Didn't think so. I'm just lazy and haven't had inspiration….again. Maybe I'll get it back one of these days. Until then, enjoy!

freya kurenai: No, he's not really, but in this fic, he will be that naïve. Aw, you don't think it's cute? Well… meh. Thanks for reviewing!

Shadow Masochist: Still don't get why you're envious. And is time all that precious? Sure, it's limited, but if it's spent doing things unwanted and forced rather than doing things that you want to and make you happy, is it not wasted anyway? Well, either way, thanks for reviewing!

Lady Duzie: Ah, yes, all the people. Might have to throw some FF characters in here, too. Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Whoo, go Kanone! Thanks for reviewing!

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Early the next morning, Kiyotaka arrived at his look a like's castle. He strode up to the door, which was guarded by two burly men with axes crisscrossed across the door and swords at their hips. Though they looked heavily armed, the eldest Narumi doubted that they were quick on their feet or skilled in battle at all- simply hired muscle that probably got killed off and replaced every other week. As he approached the two men, the one on the left, slightly shorter and more squatty than the other glanced at him. To prove his point of the guards being all muscle and no brain, the grisly man immediately moved his weapon from in front of the door to allow him entry, obviously mistaking him for Kiyo. Rolling his eyes, but not complaining about the easy entrance, Kiyotaka made his way through the door into the lavish building.

Just as in his own castle, the interior traffic contrasted with the outer serenity of the structure. Outside there were few people- just the guards and perhaps one or two servants attending to the lawn and gardens- but inside was a whole different story. Quiet chattering and people from all social classes bustling about, trying to accomplish one thing or another, occasionally running into each other due to lack of attention of where they were walking, instead focused on a parchment or object in their hands or simply lost in thought of their immediate plans. Then, there were the loudmouths and children (though, more often than not, the two coincided), who made the most racket possible. From shouting to each other down the halls, laughing, knocking things over, breaking valuable items that shouldn't have been left out, or simply throwing said items back and forth, their actions destroyed any potential peace that the inside of the seemingly calm castle might have had.

The layout, however, was erratic and random, yet with some sense of order and structure, though it would take an abstract viewer to see the creativity in what might otherwise seem like a mess of mashed corridors and haphazardly placed doors. Kiyotaka smirked slightly at the engineering of the building, and deducted it must have been someone of higher thinking (or a child, since the two were often confused or grouped together) to plan out the complex design. Since his own castle, designed by none other than himself, mirrored the same thought process, he concluded that Kiyo was most likely the one behind the scheme. Though, simply because the concept was the same in no way meant the layout was. In short, this meant Kiyotaka had no way to know where Kiyo was, or even what room he would be in. A throne room, perhaps, his own room, some random room doing some random thing, who knew?

Luckily for Kiyotaka, who just happened to have the devil's luck, a certain man was expecting his arrival and upon seeing him, approached him, smiling that same slightly-suspicious-but-still-friendly smile. "You must be Kiyotaka." The older man tilted his head as the brunette glanced at him, "I'm Kai. Looking for Kiyo, I presume?"

A nod from the younger man and Kai started walking down what seemed a random hallway with Kiyotaka in tow. They soon reached a door that had no distinguishing marks in any way, it wasn't even at the end of the hallway, like most rooms that held something or someone of importance were. Kai knocked on the door, rapping it with his knuckles for a few moments before a voice was heard, "What?"

"So friendly." Kai murmured before raising his voice so the one inside could hear, "You've a visitor."

After a pause, most likely to give Kiyo time to glare at the door in irritation, he replied, "Fine."

The older one shrugged and looked at Kiyotaka, "Guess that means go in, I can never tell with him." An eyebrow shot up as the other rolled his eyes and walked in. Shaking his head, the golden-eyed man walked back the way he came, muttering, "Great… two of them."

Inside Kiyo's bedroom, the purple-eyed one glanced up at his look a like, quirking an eyebrow at the other man, "Kiyotaka." He stated. It was obvious who the other one was, Kiyo doubted too many others had their exact features.

As the said man looked upon the other, he took in his appearance. There really wasn't a thing to differentiate the two. Everything from their physical appearance to the way they carried themselves to their unsympathetic and seemingly cold attitude was identical. There may have been a few miniscule differences like how they would react to a certain situation or what they valued (or if they valued anything at all), but overall, they could have switched places and no one would have ever known other than perhaps Ayumu, who always hung around Kiyotaka and was perhaps the one who knew him best.

An eyebrow raised at the recognition he heard in the other man's voice- as if he knew him or had at least known of him for quite some time, "You know me." It was a question as much as it was a statement. Kiyotaka rarely asked questions.

A slight shrug was given as a response, "You have something I require."

Right down to business, of course. If anything proved he was like Kiyotaka, it was that. "I'm sure I do." It was his way of asking what it was and why he should give it up.

"A boy by the name of Raika, he resides in your castle."

Kiyotaka knew the name well enough, after all, he was the reason the boy even existed. Though, one question lurked in his mind, "Why should I give him to you?" It wasn't that he wanted to keep the boy for any particular reason or that he wanted anything in return. It was rather that he knew what the boy was capable of, and in the wrong hands, very dangerous.

"Is that any of your concern?" Kiyo wondered, tilting his head to the side, "After all, you have no need nor want for the boy, why not hand him over? And I'll take good care of him." He promised. In the back of his head, though, he was going over ways in which to destroy something that should have never been rightfully created in the first place. He knew it, Kiyotaka knew it, and he knew Kiyotaka knew it. The latter simply didn't have the inspiration or motivation to have the boy taken care of.

Kiyotaka shrugged, "Of course." It was, Kiyo assumed, his way of agreeing to handing the boy over.

"Good." When the hazel-eyed man didn't leave immediately, Kiyo spoke again, "Was there something more you wanted?"

Kiyotaka's mind briefly flashed to the boy that had been brought to him earlier in the week. Though, it was no business of his or anything he had to deal with. Still, he decided to mention it, "A boy was brought to my castle a few days back."

"And?" Kiyo asked, wondering why he should care.

"Does the name Ukat ring a bell?" he asked.

A flash of interest and actual emotion passed through Kiyo's eyes, though it was quickly hidden once again, "Yes." He replied simply. There was no need for the other to know that he had been searching for the young boy since he had disappeared almost a week ago.

Another shrug and Kiyotaka turned to leave, "He's there if you want him." With that said, the brunette walked out of the room and through the complex and random hallways that lead back to his awaiting ship.

Ukat had ventured out of his room in hopes of finding a bit of food. Despite being told he was going to be put to work, he had yet to be given any tasks or chores. Figuring he would take advantage of the down time to explore the huge place a bit more, he had set out nearly an hour ago in search of the kitchen. Now, he was lost. The castle hallways and general plan were erratic and looked as if completely by random. It had been as such back at Kiyo's castle, too, and he always got lost wandering them as well. Sighing slightly to himself, he turned down another hallway… and right into a wall. He stopped a second before his face connected with the completely random structure, which sat in a depression in the wall about two feet in. There was no purpose for it, perhaps, except to trick unassuming patrons of the castle.

A low chuckle was heard behind him, "Lost?" said a voice that Ukat didn't recognize. When he spun around to face the one who had stumbled upon him, he took back his initial assumption of the boy being lost as well and looking for a way out of the labyrinth. The other one, much older than him- looking to be about eighteen, was leaning against the wall opposite to the one he had nearly smacked into. His eyes were a dark orange, almost black, and his wavy red hair fell to his jaw line.

"I think so." The teal-haired boy finally responded, after taking the boy's full appearance in. He certainly didn't look like a servant- dressed in finer clothes than even the princes wore.

"You think?" The boy questioned, "You don't even know?"

"Uh…well…" the younger one really didn't have an answer. Shaking his head and bowing, he smiled, "Sorry, forgive my manners. My name is-"

"Uh huh." The red-haired boy said, looking off to the side, disinterestedly, and waving a hand carelessly, "Don't care."

Navy blue eyes blinked at the sudden change in attitude. While at first the boy just seemed amused with the younger one's unawareness, he was now acting as if he didn't even want to know him, _"I suppose not everyone is quite as polite as others." _Simply because they were in a rather formal setting, he supposed, not everyone would act as such. Instead of talking about himself, Ukat decided to focus the conversation on the slightly mysterious boy, "What's your name?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" the oddly-colored eyed boy wondered, glancing at him, "You have no need to call me by it and no need to reference me for anything."

"I suppose…" Ukat agreed, "But it's only natural to introduce oneself upon a first meeting, ne?" All he got in return was a shrug, so he tried once more to get something out of the older one, "Do you know where the kitchen is?"

Another shrug and the redhead turned to leave, "Of course I do." With that, he walked down another random hallway.

Ukat blinked once more, "Wha…well, where is it?" he called after the retreating form. Orange eyes rolled and the boy continued walking down his chosen hallway. Deciding it was better than stumbling around aimlessly, the much shorter one followed the other.

After a few minutes of being trailed, the older one glanced back to the young boy following behind him, "Something you want?" he asked, as if nothing had happened.

"I'd like to know where the kitchen is." The blue-haired one said, a bit tired of the lack of conversation and attention he was receiving from the other one.

"I'm sure." Was the only response he received.

Ukat was about to comment on the elder's manners before he was interrupted by another boy, who emerged from a room they had stopped in front of. He looked only to be about seventeen or even younger due to his height (or lack of). He was at least half a foot shorter than the red-haired boy and closer to Ukat's height. That was including his hair, which was short and a dark green color, spiked up in small patches all around his head. His eyes were a steel grey, but unlike the color might suggest, were still able to show quite an abundance of whatever emotion the boy was feeling. His eyes were covered by a pair of glasses that were tinted orange and had an oval shape to them.

The boy glanced to Ukat and smiled, bowing, "Hello, I'm Raika, a pleasure to meet you, and who might you be?" he asked.

Changing from the more-than-laid-back attitude of the first boy to the rather professional one of the second, the youngest bent over in a slight bow as well, "The pleasure's all mine. I'm Ukat." He replied, smiling slightly, happy to find someone who might be of some assistance and not completely aloof.

"I hope Belial didn't give you too much trouble, he can be an ass sometimes." The green-haired boy continued, motioning to the bored-looking teen at his side.

Ukat blinked and shook his head, smiling again, "No, not at all. I was just trying to find the kitchen." He explained.

Raika nodded and looked to Belial, "You don't have to be such a jerk to everyone, you know." He lightly scolded, though there was no hint of actual parenting in his voice.

"I don't _have _to do anything." The boy known as Belial pointed out, "And I'm not a jerk to _everyone_."

"More than most." The grey-eyed boy shot back. The tallest of the three simply shrugged and disappeared into the room Raika had just come out of after placing a quick kiss on the younger-looking one's lips. Sighing and shaking his head, Raika looked to Ukat and smiled again, "Come on, I'll take you to the kitchen." He offered. The teal-haired boy nodded in agreement and followed the elder one through a specific path in the maze of corridors to his desired destination, _"Maybe it won't be so bad here." _He thought idly. Though, deep down his heart still ached to be at Kiyo's side once again.

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We all see what's happening here, right? His love interest is out to get the only friend he's made in this whole place. Isn't he such a lucky boy? Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, so review!


	7. Chapter 7

I do apologize to anyone still reading this for being so long in updating. It seems, however, that college and writer's block go hand in hand. Bastards, ne? Anyway, enjoy!

ShadowMasochist: Aw, what's so confusing? Just a lot of people… or maybe I'm just not confused because I actually know what's going on (for once). Either way, thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: I know, there's quite a few, and more to come. But most are just one or two chapter characters. Like Belial probably won't play _too _big a part, and a few others like Ai that are just there for fun. Not that they have no purpose, but they aren't a big part of the story. The ones you want to pay the most attention to are Kiyotaka, Kiyo, Ukat, Raika, and Kai because they'll play the biggest roles. Thanks for reviewing!

Lady Duzie: Whoo! Gotta love those crossovers. Even though this is more OCs than actual characters…but, oh well. Thanks for reviewing!

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After finally getting something to eat, Ukat turned to his new acquaintance and tilted his head, "So, are you a servant here?" he asked, slightly confused. In Kiyo's castle, there had been basically just Kiyo, his brothers, a few advisors, as Kiyo called them, and servants. Ukat himself was an exception to the rule, as he was none of those things. Rather, he was Kiyo's friend, one of the very few, though he usually did a lot of the cooking and helped to keep the castle clean. It wasn't required, that was just how Ukat was. 

Here, however, there seemed an abundance of people that weren't servants, family, or friends of the king. To confirm the light-haired boy's suspicions, Raika shook his head, "No." He replied, "I was sent here for Kiyotaka to look after."

This answer shocked Ukat a bit, as it would most. Despite his young appearance, Raika seemed completely able to care for himself, "How old are you? Why do you need to be looked after?"

An eyebrow quirked at the invasive questions. If anything, this boy got close quick, "I'm nineteen." He easily answered the first question, earning himself another blink from the younger one.

"You look really young." The latter commented, "Or maybe it's just because you're so short." A small gasp escaped his lips right after the words left his mouth and Ukat immediately went into a bow, "Sorry, that was rude." He quickly apologized.

It was Raika's turn to blink, slightly taken back, but shook his head, "It's fine, no need to apologize for speaking the truth." He pointed out, "Belial calls me short all the time." A trace of a pout adorned his lips before his face returned to its normal, mature expression, "As for your second question, I'm not sure I can answer it."

"Why not?" the younger one asked, tilting his head, "You don't know why you're being looked after?"

"Not quite. I know it has something to do with why I was made or what I'm capable of, but beyond that, I was never informed."

A glance to the new-comer showed that Ukat was beyond confused, "Made…?" he asked, wondering how it was possible for a person to be made, "How were you made? And what are you capable of?"

The forest-haired boy realized he had said a bit too much and shook his head, "It's nothing for you to be concerned with." He assured the other.

If Ukat had been the more prying personality, Raika may have been in trouble, but lucky for the older one, he wasn't. So, leaving it as it was, the teal head nodded in agreement. After a moment of silence, the nine-year-old spoke, "Thank you again for showing me to the kitchen."

"No problem, do you know how to get back to your room?" he asked, knowing very well the answer.

"Er…" The smaller one trailed off, "Not exactly."

A small chuckle and a nod of his head greeted the answer, "Figured, where's your room?"

"Not sure, the hallway floor was dark purple, though." Ukat recalled, finding it odd that the floor would be such a color.

"West or east wing?"

"East…I think." He replied, wondering if it was possible for Raika to actually know where his room was.

"Alright, go down this hall." The experienced one pointed down a hallway with a blood red floor, "You'll come to an intersection with a dark purple floor going over the black, take a right there and you should be in the hallway your room's in."

"The castle's…color coded?" Ukat asked, sweatdropping.

Raika bit back a small laugh and nodded, "Too many people got lost, so Kiyotaka finally had the floors carpeted in four main colors, dark blue, blood red, dark purple, and black to define different sections of the castle."

"Only four?" the next question in a seemingly endless slew came, "There has to be more hallways then that."

"There are." The elder confirmed, "There's one main hallway, which leads straight through the castle, which most of the room are located on. Kiyotaka's room and his brothers' rooms are at the very end on the east, it's also where your room is, the dark purple hallway. The other three colored hallways branch off from this one. The black hallways lead to the exits, such as the entrance, courtyard, and gardens; the blood red hallways go to the bathrooms, dressing rooms, kitchen, things like that; and the dark blue hallways head toward the stairwells and pretty much everything else."

After taking all this information in, Ukat just blinked, "Uh….huh."

Another chuckle left Raika's lips, "It'll take a while to get used to." He offered, "And the specific layout could take years to memorize."

"Great…" The younger one sighed, not at all looking forward to getting lost countless times.

The taller one just patted his head and smiled, "You seem like a bright enough boy, I'm sure you'll catch on."

The few encouraging words seemed to inspire Ukat somewhat as he nodded, "Thanks again, Raika."

"Of course, and call me Rai, most do."

"Alright, I'll see you later, Rai-chan." Another bow and the younger one took off to find his room. A slight smirk and a shake of his head, and Raika headed back to his room. Just before he turned out of the kitchen, though, a small glint caught his eye. He glanced over and saw that something was shining, almost glowing out the kitchen window.

Always interested in everything, he ventured outside the castle walls. He shivered slightly against the cold, night air and made his way over to the object of his attention. Stooping down, he picked it up to find it was an oddly colored, square stone. It had a square spiral design cut into it and the engraving was glowing a soft blue. Immersed in the almost-familiar stone, Raika's usually-aware senses were focused on the strange rock, which sent a wave of nostalgia through him. Naturally, he wouldn't notice a dark figure, cloaked in shadows, sneaking up behind him. A hand shot out and hit a spot on his neck, well aware of what would happen. A soft gasp left the pale lips as the boy's head shot up in attention.

He just managed to glance back before everything became fuzzy and soon completely black as he fell to the ground, unconscious. The brunette stepped from the shadows and chuckled, "So predictable." He commented, picking the stone up and pocketing it, "Of course, it's the only thing you remember, isn't it?" he asked the sleeping boy. Shaking his head, the golden-eyed man scooped up the younger one and turned to make his way back to the docks before giving one last, lingering look to the castle.

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Poor Raika… he's not having a good day, is he? Don't worry, it gets worse! So who took him? And what's his deal with the castle, or obviously whoever is in it? Review! 


	8. Chapter 8

If it is at all possible, I'm sick...again. I had a sinus infection, was better for a total of two days, woke up this morning... and here I am not able to breathe and with a sore throat. How do things like this happen? (sigh). In any case, enjoy!

Lady Duzie: It's so true, he'll never get a break. Thanks for reviewing!

Shadow Masochist: Isn't it? And in response to that... yes, I do enjoy it quite a bit. Though... if you knew what was going on, you might know what's going to happen, and we can't have that, now can we? Thanks for reviewing!

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"Sir." A voice brought Kiyo's attention from his reading. The young king glanced up to see Kai leaning against his doorway, tilting his head.

A small sigh left the brunette's lips, "You made me think there was someone here that would tell me something of importance." He commented, looking back to his book. Only now did he hear the sarcasm in that single word, and wished he had simply ignored the man. _"Probably wants me to let him and his brother go overseas again." _He thought, tiredly.

"That's so cruel, I happen to be very informed." The elder one defended himself.

"And what have you come to 'inform' me of today?" Kiyo wondered, disbelieving.

"We've caught the target."

Those four words grabbed the purple-eyed boy's attention and he glanced back from his book once more, "Where?"

A small, almost sadistic smirk graced the lighter-haired one's lips, "Right this way."

_"Let's see..." _Ukat thought, looking around, _"The black hallways lead...where again?" _A soft groan left his lips as he looked around. At this point, he just wanted to get back to his room, but he wasn't even sure where that was anymore. Deciding that maybe he could retrace his steps, Ukat turned around, walking along the darkly-carpeted hallway. _"Where's Rai when you need him?" _he wondered, idly.

"That's what I'd like to know." Came an annoyingly familiar voice. The child looked up to see Belial looking around, slightly irritated. Beyond that, though, Ukat thought he saw perhaps a slight tinge of worry in the older one's orange orbs.

"What?" the blue-haired boy asked, wondering what Belial was wondering. He hadn't said anything to cause a response like that-- he hadn't said anything at all.

"I'd like to know where Rai is." Belial repeated, now slightly annoyed at the seemingly slow boy, "Or did you not even pay attention to what you were thinking?"

"But...they're my thoughts." Ukat countered, still confused.

"Duh." Came the simple response.

Sighing, slightly exasperated, the shorter one shook his head, "So how can you know what I'm thinking?"

"By reading your thoughts, obviously, are you slow?" Ukat simply stared at Belial, perhaps proving his point a bit too well. The elder knew this information would startle the younger one, though, and in return he simply chuckled, "Hm?"

The still-confused boy just shook his head again, now having a whole new realm of questions that he wasn't sure he wanted answered. Instead, he moved on, "So you don't know where Rai is." He concluded.

After a moment, Belial shrugged, "No." He confirmed, though getting a straight answer from this boy seemed incredibly odd to hear.

"Maybe someone else has seen him?"

"Maybe." The red head parroted, though it wasn't the hopeful kind of 'maybe someone _has _seen him' that you'd expect it to be. Instead, this maybe seemed only to serve as the reminder that it was only a possibility that someone had seen Rai, and that possibility had every chance of failing.

A slightly defeated sigh escaped the younger boy's lips, "Aren't you worried?" he wondered, "Or does he disappear like this a lot." Belial just shrugged the questions off, which only caused to upset Ukat slightly. "So you don't care about him?"

"Did I say that?" the orange-eyed boy wondered, tilting his head, "No."

"Then why do you act like you don't care?" he demanded, a small frown touching his lips.

"Why bother worrying if there's nothing I can do?" the elder questioned.

"How do you know there's nothing you can do?" When all he got was another shrug to answer his question, Ukat closed his eyes.

Belial just shook his head and turned to leave, "Even think the reason I'm not worried is I have a little faith in him?" With that, he walked off, leaving the blue-eyed boy to ponder his words.

Sighing to himself, Ukat shook his head and set off to find someone who might know what happened to his friend. Making his way back to the section that contained his room along with the king and princes' rooms, in addition to a few others. Turning around a corner, he immediately froze to keep from running into Kiyotaka. Blinking, the much shorter one looked up at him, "Oh, sorry." He apologized quickly, "I didn't know you were back yet."

The king nodded slightly, "Be careful, some don't appreciate being run into." He chided.

"Sorry." Ukat repeated, giving a quick bow, "I'll be on my way." As he was about to walk off, an idea struck him and he quickly looked up to Kiyotaka again, "Have you seen Rai by any chance?" he questioned.

The elder boy gave him a short glance before walking off, "Raika had business in Ambrose."

Blue eyes blinked as the other disappeared around a corner, _"He left?" _he wondered to himself, _"He didn't even tell Belial or anyone?" _Ukat didn't know Raika all that well, but he was sure the grey-eyed boy wouldn't leave to go across seas without informing his boyfriend. Troubled, but not sure he was able to find Belial, Ukat turned and made his way back into his room, plopping down on his bed and sighing slightly. A glance was cast out the large window next to his bed, which gave a view of the roaring ocean, occasionally illuminated by the passing beam of the lighthouse, _"I hope he's alright."_

A knock on his door startled him from his thoughts and a soft 'come in' revealed Ai sticking his head in the door, glancing at him, "Yo." He greeted.

Once again, Ukat blinked, "Ai." He acknowledged, tilting his head to the side, "Can I help you?" He wasn't sure, but he couldn't imagine a boy like Ai having much use for him.

The teen simply shrugged and walked the rest of the way into the spacious room, closing the door and leaning against it, dropping his voice to a low mutter that just barely reached the nine-year-old's ears, "You want to know about Raika, ne?"

The blue-haired boy tilted his head and was about to ask how the natural spy knew such a thing, but it then occurred to him that might just be the kind of person Ai was. So, instead, he nodded a confirmation, "Yes."

A slight shrug was given, "He's over on Ambrose Island."

"I know, Kiyotaka told me." Ukat informed him, tilting his head, "He said Rai had business over there. He didn't tell anyone about it, though, which struck me as odd."

"Business?" the violet-haired teen repeated, "Yeah, right."

"You mean he lied?" A small frown tugged at his lips, "Then why did he go?"

"He didn't _go_." Ai clarified, "He was taken."

"What?" The new information drug the corners of his lips down into a deeper frown, _"Who would take him? Why?"_

As if reading the younger one's mind, Ai spoke up, "He was taken right after he spoke with you last night. Do you know a boy named Kanone that lives in this castle? Always all over my brother..." He muttered as an afterthought.

After a second of thought, Ukat nodded, "Yes, I think I recall seeing him with Ayumu."

"The one that took Raika is his father."

"Wh-what? His father? Why would he do something like that? Why doesn't he live here with Kanone?"

"He works for the king on Ambrose Island." The older boy continued, "Kiyo."

_"Kiyo..."_ Those two syllables froze the boy in place as he looked at Ai with a look of shock.

An eyebrow quirked, "You know him?"

It took a moment for the words to register. Once they finally did, he nodded slightly, "Yeah, I lived with him in his castle before I..." He then trailed off, once again giving a look of confusion.

"You...what?" Ai wondered.

"I don't know." The teal-haired boy admitted, "I can't really remember what happened. I just know I was out on the cliff by the ocean one minute, then everything's blurry."

That same eyebrow shot up at the story, but was quickly shrugged off-- not like it was his problem. A shrug was given, "Anyway, that's where he is."

One question had still gone unanswered, "Why was Rai taken, though?"

Ai hesitated for just a moment, but it was long enough for Ukat to notice. In an attempt to cover it up, he spoke, "Kiyo wanted something from Raika that he didn't think he'd give up willingly."

Another frown formed at the information, "He won't hurt him will he?"

The next hesitation couldn't be covered up by anyone, and was only answered with Ai shaking his head, _"He'll do more than that."_ A soft sigh escaped his lips as he turned to leave, "I would suggest forgetting all about Raika. Chances are, you'll never see him again, anyway." With that, he exited the small boy's room, the door shutting with a _click_.

Ukat simply stared after him, _"Kiyo wouldn't..." _As much as he tried to convince himself of this, he knew very well he would and very possibly was. In fact, the teal-haired one was the only person Kiyo was truly nice to. He'd always heard that the king was stuck up, so to speak, and down right rude, but whenever Ukat was around, he never saw it. Many had told him time and time again that whenever he was around, Kiyo was as nice as could be, or at least not the cold-hearted bastard everyone else saw him as. Navy-blue eyes closed for a moment before gazing out the window, _"Kiyo..."_

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Hm...so Ai's creepiness was actually helpful. Who would have guessed? Sounds like he knows something he's not letting onto, though... This chapter is really only half done, but writer's block is threatening to make it another three days before I get to post it if I wait until it's completely finished. I'm sure this has just added to the confusion, but... you'll live. Hopefully. Unless your head explodes... leave a review before it does! 


	9. Chapter 9

Been long enough for you? Me, too. Good, then, I'm going to not rant, and just say enjoy!

Dark Azure Wind: I think it's inevitable, isn't it? XD, thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Writer's block.. (kills it) I think I'm.. partially over it.. I'm over enough to update this much, so yay. Thanks for reviewing!

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_"Where am I?"_ the young boy thought, looking around the small room. He had awoken here and couldn't remember much more about the night before. He only recalled something that seemed like from a dream or a distant memory. He blinked and reached into his pocket, pulling out the small stone from before. He looked at it, tilting his head as it cast a faint blue glow in the otherwise dark room. He studied the carefully carved spiral design on the front, running his thumb over the back to discover that it was completely smooth. _"What is this stone? Why does it seem so familiar?" _Sighing in frustration, he sat on the small bed and tossed it up and down, idly. He could only remember seeing the stone outside and then everything went dark. Then, another thought entered his head, _"I hope Belial won't be worried." _He then laughed slightly at the absurdity of that notion. If there was one thing his boyfriend never was, it was worried. In all their time of knowing each other, Rai had never seen Belial even fazed by anything, let alone actually worry. He simply didn't care enough about anything to have it worry him, _"That's not true... he cares about me."_ He thought, closing his eyes, _"Maybe he'll come for me."_

At that moment, the door swung open and two men entered the room. Raika immediately sat up to face them and looked them over. He didn't quite recognize the first man, though he did look very familiar. He looked exactly like Kiyotaka, in fact, other than his oddly colored eyes. The other one, a bit older, that walked in after elicited a small gasp from the green-haired boy. The golden-eyed man chuckled and tilted his head, "Good evening, Raika."

"K-kai." He muttered, backing away slightly from the man. He didn't know why he was here, but if a Kiyotaka look a like and Kai were involved, he knew it couldn't be good for him. He swallowed hard and looked back up to the two men, "What do you want with me?"

"Come now, Raika, dear." The elder of the two chided, taking another step closer to the frightened boy, "You know you couldn't hide from us forever. Did you really think you could avoid us?"

"Kai, that's enough." Kiyo said in a firm voice, sighing.

"Fine, fine." The sandy-haired man pouted slightly and then chuckled, reaching over and grabbing Raika's arm, "So should I just get rid of it, now?"

_"No..." _The grey-eyed boy struggled in the grasp, but to no avail. Kai had always been immensely stronger than himself and knew it.

A cold glance was cast to the youngest of the three, "Not yet." And with no further explanation, Kiyo exited the room.

Kai blinked, slightly confused and looked at Rai, "Lucky." He muttered before following the king out, "So why keep him around?" he wondered.

"It's none of your concern." The brunette stated, "But I do have good news for you."

"Eh?" he wondered, tilting his head, "What kind of good news?"

"You get to go see your sons."

Kai blinked, now more confused than before, "What? Why?"

"Because I need you to deliver a message to Kiyotaka for me." The younger man informed him.

"Alright...what?"

Kiyo simply ignored the question, "Hakkai already has the information, he will be going with you to make sure you behave."

"Wha-... are you saying I'm not responsible enough to deliver a simple message?" he asked, slightly offended.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Hakkai's already waiting for you outside, so hurry up." With that, the king disappeared into another room.

Sighing in defeat, the younger brother joined the older one outside. Hakkai chuckled slightly, "Something wrong?"

"That guy gets on my nerves sometimes." The younger sibling muttered.

"Aw, why's that?" the darker-haired one wondered, "Kiyo's nice."

"Uh huh... to you."

The blue-haired man patted his brother's head and climbed in the waiting carriage with him in tow, "Glad you get to see Kanone and Kalelle?"

A small nod accompanied Kai's reply as he gazed out the window, "Yeah."

A quick glance was shot to him, but no more words were said as the carriage started moving and brought them to a dock where a large ship was waiting for them. Hakkai climbed out and looked back over his shoulder, "Kai?"

"Hm?" was his response, still focusing on something that wasn't his brother.

"Come on." The elder suggested, heading toward the ship.

Finally, Kai got the message and snapped back to reality, following the other man, "Jeez, Kiyo really spares no expenses, does he?" he commented, in regards to the luxurious vessel before them, "It's just a small trip and there's only two of us, yet he sends out this thing?"

"It is a bit strange." The other agreed.

"Ah well." The golden-eyed man shrugged it off, stepping aboard, "If he wants us to ride in style, then let's." A small shake of his head and a chuckle were the only replies he received before Hakkai followed him on deck.

Once they finally arrived on Kiyotaka's island, the two looked around. Kai took this moment to glance at the one next to him, "So what _is _this all important message that Kiyo'd send both of us to deliver?" he wondered.

Hakkai simply shrugged and started walking, "It's rude to read other people's mail without their permission, brother." He reminded him, chuckling at the small pout, "Maybe Kiyotaka will tell you?"

"Yeah, right, I'm so sure he will." He muttered, sarcastically, before looking up and blinking.

Before them stood a pink-haired boy wearing a long black trench coat that blew in the wind and top hat, tiling his head, "Gentlemen, so good to see you again."

Kai simply rolled his eyes and flicked the younger one, "Drop the act, Dimitri."

The one known as Dimitri chuckled and tipped his hat to Hakkai, who nodded in return, "What act, dear father?"

The title only made said man groan, "For the last time, I'm not your father. Just because you mooched off me and had no family or home when you were younger doesn't make me your parent."

A small smirk played across the boy's lips, "You're so cruel." He commented before heading back to the castle, "I don't see how Kalelle puts up with it."

"I don't see how he puts up with _you_."

"Kai, be nice." Hakkai chided.

"Why?" came the confused response, "I get to pick on my son's friends, don't I?"

A small sigh came from the oldest one's mouth as he nodded in defeat, "Of course you do, brother."

"So, uncle." Dimitri spoke up, addressing Hakkai, "How are things with the royal pain?"

"I don't know who you could be talking about." The black-eyed man said, too innocently.

"Uh huh." Was the skeptical response before it was shrugged off, "Oh well, so how have things been in general?"

"Good." He replied with no further explanation.

"Such a talker." Dimitri muttered under his breath before looking at Kai, "And you?"

The younger brother just shrugged, "Same old, same old. Other than this whole business with Raika." He added, almost as an afterthought, _"I wonder why Kiyo wanted to keep him alive, the kid can't be of any use and he needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible."_

"Raika?" Dimitri parroted, "Wasn't he living in Kiyotaka's castle?"

Kai nodded an affirmative, "But Kiyo wanted him, so he's over on Ambrose now."

"Kiyo wanted him?" The shock in his voice was unmistakable. Not that anyone would be surprised by it, Kiyo and Kiyotaka were both very alike in the sense that they wanted next to nothing, and if they ever did, it certainly wouldn't be some kid.

"Yeah, it's nothing, don't worry about it."

Dimitri quirked an eyebrow at the abrupt response, "Uh huh." He said, unbelieving.

Kai just shrugged as the three entered the large castle that housed the Narumi brothers. The king's best friend was leaning back against a wall, expectantly waiting for the three. Taku glanced to them, "About time." He muttered.

The pink-haired one just rolled his eyes, "Good, you deal with these two, then. One's an ass and the other barely talks."

Sighing, Taku brought his navy blue hair up into a low ponytail and held it secure with a thin, black hair tie. "Alright, alright." He conceded, looking to the two elder men, "Guessing you're just heading straight to Kiyotaka, then, so let's go."

As he headed down a hallway, Kai spoke up, "Actually, since Hakkai's the only one with the message, I'll skip that whole boring conversation and just see Kanone and Kalelle."

"Kalelle's in the kitchen, Kanone's in Ayumu's room." Taku informed him, continuing on his way with Hakkai. Kai just shrugged and nodded, following them, seeing as how Ayumu's room was nearly next door to Kiyotaka's.

--

Kiyotaka was enjoying his peace when a knock sounded on his door. He sighed and offered his usual greeting of 'what?'. Taku sauntered in soon after, Hakkai following behind. The latter glanced to Kiyotaka and nodded, "Hello."

A nod was given in return, the most respect Kiyotaka ever showed to anyone. He glanced to Taku, who shrugged, taking the hint, and left the two alone. "What brings you here?" the younger of the two wondered, being more sociable toward the blue-haired man than he was to most.

"Kiyo." Hakkai replied, "He wanted me to deliver a message to you." An expectant look moved him on to the actual message, "He said he was requesting that we take a certain boy home with us."

A moment of thought and Kiyotaka simply shrugged it off, "Ukat, I'm assuming."

The black-eyed one nodded, "Yes."

"Fine, I'll have him brought downstairs."

Hakkai nodded again, "Alright." He turned to leave, but paused, "Oh, right, Kai's here as well. Visiting Kanone and Kalelle."

A spark of interest lit up Kiyotaka's eyes for a brief moment as he glanced back up to the elder one, "I see."

"Want me to tell him to come see you before we leave?" he offered. He'd never heard it from the king directly, but Kai had told him that Kiyotaka was infatuated with his older brother.

If any of what the tan-haired one said was true, it wasn't being verified by Kiyotaka, who just shrugged again, "No need to."

"Of course, though..." he trailed off, glancing over his shoulder.

"Hm?" the brunette wondered, only barely interested.

Hakkai chuckled, "You really should tell him your feelings."

Kiyotaka was about to question what feelings he supposedly had, but the other man just waved a hand, offered a few words of farewell, and left the king to his own thoughts.

--

After getting acquainted with the castle's intricately-patterned hallways, Ukat was becoming familiar with the layout and was getting about more easily. He was currently turning a corner and ran into someone, again. _"Need to watch those corners." _He reminded himself, thinking of his previous encounter with Kiyotaka. He looked up at his latest running-into-victim to see that it was none other than Belial. He blinked, noticing that the redhead wasn't walking, but in fact leaning against the wall directly around the corner; nearly anyone would have run into him. "Um... hi." The younger one offered.

Burnt orange eyes opened and glanced to the shorter one as their owner nodded his greeting. Deciding that whatever conversation Ukat may get out of him would be meaningless, he started to walk around the odd boy. As soon as he made it past, however, Belial spoke, "Two men are here for you."

"Wha..." the light-haired boy turned to face the other again, "What do they want with me?"

Not answering, Belial instead continued talking, "One is Kanone's father."

_"Kanone's father...wait, but... that means..." _Ukat snapped his attention up to the slightly taller one, "The one that took Raika?" A nod confirmed this suspicion, which made the boy only more suspicious. Another thing caught his attention, though, "You knew that he was taken?"

"Of course." Belial said, as if it were common sense.

"Why don't you do anything about it, then? Go get him back." He wondered how much Belial really cared for his so-called boyfriend if he was just going to let him be taken.

"No." The tone of his voice made Ukat a little hesitant. Orange eyes closed slowly, "I won't leave here." He said, almost stubbornly.

"Why? What's more important than Raika to you?" It was clear by this point Belial wasn't in love, and he wasn't sure if he even cared that much about the green-haired boy.

"Kiyotaka." The simple response came.

"Why him?" the blue-eyed boy frowned slightly, "Are you really that loyal to your king?"

"Not at all."

Ukat sighed slightly; Belial sure wasn't forthcoming with any information, "Then what?" he pressed.

"I'm in love with him." He shrugged again, as if this news was common sense and should be known by all. For all Ukat knew, it was.

However, he couldn't take this news so lightly, "Why are you with Raika, then?" he demanded, softly, "Don't you care about his feelings at all? Or are you just lying to him?"

An eyebrow quirked at how much the younger one seemed to care about a boy he barely knew. "I care about him, and I don't lie." He informed the other boy.

"If you care about him, you wouldn't be messing with him like this." The lighter-haired one accused.

"I'm not." Belial stated, pushing off the wall. He offered no more explanation, and simply walked off, disappearing around the corner.

Ukat stared after him for a moment before shaking his head. He was concerned at what Kanone's father might want with him, being the one that had taken Raika, after all. In the back of his head, though, he knew he'd go in the end. _"If I can help Raika, I need to." _He thought, heading toward the main entrance of the castle.

The redheaded boy he had just spoken with not five minutes ago watched him make his way to where Hakkai was waiting, smirking faintly. People were so predictable.

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I think this chappy is long enough to make up for.. at least a couple months of absence.. right? Hopefully. Hope this suffices for a bit, review! 


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